Carlos Queiroz watched his Ghana side walk off the Boston Stadium pitch convinced they had been denied a clear penalty – and Thomas Tuchel was left facing the same old questions about England’s tournament credentials after a 0-0 draw that drained the optimism from their World Cup campaign.
The flashpoint came when Ezri Konsa lunged at Prince Kwabena Adu inside the box. Queiroz later claimed VAR had ‘gone for a coffee’ as the challenge went unpunished, leaving the Ghana boss bemused and England ‘extremely lucky’ according to reports. But the reality was that Tuchel’s side had barely threatened for large parts of the match.
“England draw 0-0 with Ghana, with media deriding Tuchel's side as 'Old England is back'.”
After an opening 4-2 victory against Croatia, the Three Lions had Group L at their mercy. Instead, they produced a performance that German publication Der Spiegel described as ‘Old England is back’, drawing comparisons to Tuchel’s ‘more staid days at Bayern Munich’ and his predecessor Gareth Southgate, whose team ‘never scored more than two goals in any match at Euro 2024, yet still managed to reach the final’.
It took almost an hour for England to register their first shot on target. Harry Kane squandered a late opportunity, while Spanish newspaper AS singled out Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Kane for criticism, writing: ‘Bellingham, the hero against the checkered ones (Croatia), was disconnected. He continued to wander aimlessly around the pitch and was substituted by Morgan Rogers midway through the second half.’
‘Dominance without goals is nothing,’ AS added. ‘Tuchel’s revolution was extinguished by the African heat.’
Tuchel himself admitted England found it ‘difficult’ to break down Ghana’s defence. His shouts and instructions fell on deaf ears, according to AS, as the German watched his team labour to a stalemate.
There was further concern after the final whistle when Declan Rice was spotted limping. The Arsenal midfielder has spoken openly about his ongoing fitness struggles since arriving at the World Cup camp, adding to Tuchel’s headaches.
England still sit atop their group and are all but guaranteed safe passage into the knockouts. But as Der Spiegel warned: ‘This love could quickly give way to British frustration. Even reaching the World Cup final would not be considered a success for Tuchel if they fail to win the title.’